Tensions mount during final governor confrontation

NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- Gov. Joe Kernan and gubernatorial challenger Mitch Daniels took off the gloves Sunday night for a contentious second-round bout at the final Indiana governor's debate.\nBoth men sought to portray the other as out-of-touch with Hoosier voters in an aggressive exchange that largely passed over Kenn Gividen, the Libertarian gubernatorial candidate. Gividen was nearly excluded from the debate, held at IU-Southeast, but in the end it almost didn't matter: Kernan and Daniels spent their time proposing their plans for the future or directly attacking each other, a sharper contrast from their first, rather quiet debate at Franklin College.\nKernan repeatedly referred to Daniels as "my friend from Washington," a political outsider who has spent much of his life working in the nation's capital rather than Indiana. The governor also implied Daniels "trashes Indiana" when he speaks poorly of the condition of the state and was critical of Daniels' plan to help Indiana's economy.\n"It's the Washington solution to strengthening Indiana's economy." Kernan said, adding his administration would fix the state "the Hoosier way, by focusing on our strengths."\nDaniels, however, said Hoosiers are craving a change in their state government, "a fresh start and a new crew after 16 years of one-party rule," citing fiscal faults on behalf of previous Democratic Governors Evan Bayh and Frank O'Bannon that are going to have to require the state to "play catch-up."\n"Every garden needs weeding every 16 years or so," Daniels joked.\nJobs, taxes, the economy and state finances once again took center stage at the candidates' second 90-minute meeting. In a discussion of high-technology jobs, all the candidates emphasized the need to move the state forward to meet modern day needs while not leaving behind current workers.\n"By focusing our attention in the area of life sciences and agriculture in the advancements made there, does not mean in any way that we are abandoning our responsibilities to the other members of our work force," Kernan said. "We don't have to give up emphasis in one area in order to add emphasis in another."\nGividen said Indiana is "ideally situated" for the distribution business, and has the ability to serve as a technological and industrial hub for the United States. Not allowing the state to move in that direction would border of irresponsibility, he said.\n"Here's a statistic: nine to one," Gividen said. "Surrounding states outpace Indiana nine to one in distribution jobs."\nDaniels said under the traditional definition of a high-tech job, Indiana is among one of the only states in America to lose them.\n"We'll have to fire on all cylinders to bring back what we've lost," Daniels said. "Workers of this state are capable of so much, I see men and women everyday who have learned and relearned skills in order to keep up with the technology in their own business."\nDaniels said the small businesses have been beneficial to the state, but the state is not a very friendly place for small businesses.\nEnvironmental concerns and public safety from harmful chemicals within the state were not addressed during the televised debate, but all three candidates answered questions regarding the environment during press conferences immediately following the debate.\n"Of all three candidates, I'm the only one who has dedicated a section exclusively to the environment," Gividen said on his Web site.\nThe Libertarian, who opposed the proposed I-69 extension from Indianapolis to Evansville, said bringing the interstate down through the southern part of the state will cause "gratuitous destruction of the environment." \nHigh mercury levels from coal-burning plants have put many Indiana lakes and rivers on special alert, and Hoosiers are recommended not to eat fish from specifically cited Indiana waterways.\n"We better start generating clean power," Daniels said.\nDaniels said he doesn't think the state is an unsafe place to live because of these risks, but said there needs to be more done to help the state's environment. It's important to move ahead with economic growth in mind, Daniels said, but the state still needs to be mindful of its role in public safety.\n"I don't run into too many people who want to see our (environmental) standards lowered."\nKernan said the state has seen a decline in emissions. The state needs to clean up the environment, he added, and the state must balance responsible cost effectiveness to protect the growth of new jobs.\n"The environment is a responsibility of ours in this state and our community," Kernan said.\nThe candidates traded jokes in the press spin room following the debate. There was a concern Daniels and Kernan may not have shaken hands at the start of the debate, something Daniels quickly dismissed.\n"We shook hands backstage," Daniels said. "And I straightened his tie. I couldn't let my governor go on TV like that."\nKernan was grateful.\n"It's the only nice thing he's done over the course of the last 15 months," the governor joked.\nGividen proclaimed during the debate he is not conceding defeat, but afterward said Daniels would make "a great governor" and described Kernan as "a man of great character," following the debate.\n"If Indiana citizens vote their conscience as if they were the only voter, I'd win," Gividen said.\nNevertheless, he added, he hopes Daniels and Kernan both lose.\n-- Contact senior writer Tony Sams at ajsams@indiana.edu.